Saturday, April 21, 2012

The Tailored Suit: The Sleeve Tease

OK, Peeps, just spent 2 hours inserting those fucking sleeves. I guess I should be nicer about them because they ended up working pretty well.

One day, I'll have enough experience of this that the first inserted sleeve fits as nicely - and exactly the same way - as the second one does. Live and learn. I don't think others will notice the slight distinctions between the two.

For starters, here are a few photos to show you where we're at (sorry the pics are overexposed, but they give more detail):

You should remember that my dress form has wider shoulders than I do. There are no shoulder pads inserted here, simply the added stabilizer of the bias strip (used to ease the sleeve into the armscye) rather crappily, manually pushed toward the sleeve part of the shoulder.

After I re-did the bias strip easing method of inserting the sleeve (Gertie has a detailed tutorial on this here) - remember, I tried it the other day when S was here but I was tired and I didn't do it very well - the sleeves fit in perfectly.

In the future, when I redesign my sleeves (as necessary), to get them to fit as well as possible, I will probably cut them so that I don't need to do any easing. Because I came to the understanding, that I'd need to alter the sleeves substantively, after I's accounted for the ease of the bias strip, I decided to continue with that plan. Still, this method works well if you need to ease a slightly larger sleeve cap into a slightly smaller armsyce. I suspect it will get rid of up to 1.25 inches of extra sleeve ease fairly easily and maybe more if you work it super carefully.

Because my machine doesn't have a marker plate on the outside (left side) of the needle - when you see Gertie's tutorial, that should make more sense - I decided to mark the bias strip with 1/2 inch seam allowances. It was the only way I didn't veer wildly towards huge seam allowances on the side of the sleeve that you turn so that the SA is to the left of the needle. It worked well.

Also, because I did rotate the sleeve head forward in the armsyce by about a cm, I made that adjustment on the bias strip - I didn't affix the strip as if the centre top of the sleeve (per the original sleeve pattern) to the centre of the bias strip. I affixed the off centre marking point on my version of the sleeve with a 1 cm off centre marking on the bias strip. That was to make the easing appropriate to the new rotation. I suspect that's hard to understand but I don't know how to make it any clearer. Ask questions if you'd like...

I regret to inform you that the real detriment to this experience going smoothly was my machine. It does have a free arm but it wasn't narrow enough to accommodate the narrowness of the sleeve I had to insert quite far into, in order to get to the suit-like sleeve head at the right SAs for the needle. My presser foot tension dohickey also kept catching my facing pad stitches - threatening to tumble the entire house of cards (or so it seemed to me). Eventually I fed the fabric through just as if I didn't have a free arm (nor, though, do I have a flat table to support everything on) and slowly put everything together. It was suboptimal. Happily, so far, I haven't have a problem sewing through zillions of thicknesses - which was something that has been concerning me. Here's hoping that positive scenario continues.

What's next? Well, what isn't?

I'll feel on target if I can get through insertion of facings (with its numerous steps), insertion of the collar (with its numerous steps) and hemming (also multi-stepped).

I have a bat mitzvah to attend tomorrow, which will limit my sewing time. Hopefully I'll still get some important steps underway tomorrow. Give me good facing vibes :-) Every step is an adventure!

20 comments:

Great job - that sleeve is fantastically beautiful. Really, I am so impressed! I would LOVE to make a fitted jacket!

I'm wondering what machine you have? My sewing has become improved when I bought a Bernina with my taxes last year (not that you need it - but with my skill level . . . . . I need all the help I can get)

Thank you so much! I actually have a Brother CE5000 (is that a model?) that my husband got me before I started sewing. It was purchased at WalMart (a place we go maybe once a year to get a whole bunch of stuff we can't get elsewhere - but not a place I feel particularly good about shopping at). At the time, neither of us knew anything about sewing so we took a chance. For its light weight and given that it's probably not designed for a serious sewist, it's been a very good machine for me. There are some things it can't do well. A couple it really can't do at all (buttonholes?!), but in general, I have to be very grateful for it. Not that there isn't a time to move on... I keep trying to work with my vintage Singer but the tension is a problem. I need to have it serviced and the thing weighs 30 lbs and it never seems to happen.

I've got to consider next steps. Either I've got to get the Singer working perfectly or I probably have to get a new machine. But I don't want to have a zillion machines lying around...

I don't know what kind of Singer you have, but I have a Featherweight that had tension issues and I managed to fix them myself (the repair place was f-ing hopeless) with the help of this website. Really good instructions for adjust the bobbin tension. My FW sews perfectly now.http://singerfeatherweight221.blogspot.ca/2008/07/featherweight-information.html

Mine is a less well known model - the 185J. I will check out that link though, thank you. Note: My husband and I have worked extensively on bobbin tension - on everything, really. I'm starting to wonder if a sewing machine repair place will know what to try on it that we haven't already...

Oh, do consider getting a good machine! I've been sewing for over 40 years on top-of-the-line Bernina that I spent a heart-stopping $700 for way back in the 70s. At that time, I had to take out a loan to pay it off but the machine has paid for itself a thousand times over. It has handled everything I've ever thrown at it-- tailored suits, evening dresses, denim jeans, lingerie, insulated ski clothing, upholstery, and even down sleeping bags and a canvas tent without any tension issues. The machine still sews like a dream as long as I take it in for servicing every few years. I suspect it will outlive me!

BTW, I do so enjoy reading about your sewing adventures. And seeing some of my tattered sewing references featured on the screen!

I completely support the idea of buying the best you can afford. A few months after I started sewing, when it was time to buy a serger, I got a top of the line BabyLock. So it's not that I don't tend to do that. But when I started sewing I knew nothing - including whether I'd like the craft. That's why I didn't want to spend a lot.

Having said that, now's a new time. I sew for hours every week. I do need a machine to reflect my increasing skill and to assist me in doing the kinds of new things I want to try.

Which of your sewing references are you speaking of? I'd love to know who you are!

Do you really need good facing vibes? Because that jacket is already looking beyond perfect- especially the sleeves! :)

I would really reccommend planning to upgrade your machine when its financially feasible for you. Of course you can sew on anything, but the difference you get using a quality machine is really amazing. I am definitely a sewing machine snob - but I promise, if you tried out my Pfaff, you'd be a snob too haha. Its just really nice ... feels awesome to sew on.

It's looking bloody great! Are you thinking of upgrading your machine then? I'm so confused with what is a decent DRESSMAKING machine. I don't want embroidery fantastical stuff. I want a machine that will do everything I want for making clothes! Have you any suggestions??

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